Compound electric cable



(No Model.) l R. WARING.

`COB/[POUND ELECTRIC CABLE.

140.294.4536. Y Patented Mar. 4, 1884.

v N. Perma mmwunmupw. vla-nimo. uc.

NITED STATES PATENT @Ei-ICEl RICHARD S. VARING, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMPOUND ELECTRIC CABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 294,536, dated March 4, 1884.

Application filed July 20, 1883.

` tional view of the same.

My invention relates to certain improvements in metal-covered cables; and, in general terms, it consists of a cable having its insulated conducting-wircs inclosed in separate tubular passages in a common body of metal, the wires being arranged in a novel manner or method, whereby fiow of metal to form the inner walls of covering around the wires is facilitated, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the manufacture of lead-covered electric cables it is customary to make use of a leadpress,77 so called, the insulated wires beingl passed through the tubular core or mandrel and through the die, the lead being lapplied under pressure as an armor or covering to the wires within the die at the point or points of the wire-inclosing core; also, in the class of cables to which my present invention belongs, each wire is surrounded or inclosed and separated from others in the cable by continuous solid or unbroken body or wall of metal, such metal 'covering serving the double purpose of a protective covering, shielding the insulated wires from external injury, andalso preventing disturbance froml electrical induction, so called. The protection thus afforded from induction is practically complete, and this is the case even though wires be in close proximity, closer than it has been found to be practical to arrange them and secure the complete or intact lead covering requisite with means or methods heretofore employed. It is very desirable that as close and compact arrangement of wires be made as may be possible, in order to secure economy in the use of lead, and also in space occupied bythe cable.

It is also desirable and often required that a ever, much short of what is desired.

(No model.)

single cable should contain a considerable number of wires. A practical limit to the proximity of wires has been encountered, how- This has arisen from the difficulty of forcing sufficient amount of lead between the nipples of the mandrel to secure the essential condition of 6o' continuous unbroken enveloping of the wires throughout the interior portions of the cable. This difficulty is greatly increased by multiplication of the number of wires arranged in a given space, and, as above stated, has imposed a practical limit upon the proximity of `the wires much short of what .is desired and might otherwise be permissible.

VThe purpose of my present invention is to provide, in the arrangement of the wires in the cable, for much closer grouping of wires than heretofore, and in so doing to secure the requisite characteristics of continuous unbroken covering or inclosing walls, with such degree of economy in construction as to bring a cable containing a comparatively large number of wires within the limits of commercial success. To this end a cable is made by means of a press of the class above referred to, such cable having a homogeneous body of metal covering, A, by preference of lead, though other equivalent soft ductile metal or alloy may be employed capable of being formed into a homogcneous covering by means of a press. Within this body of metal are formed tubular passages a, by means of tubular nipples on the core or mandrel, which nipples, individually considered, may be constructed and operated as commonly practiced in the art. Vithin these passages are inclosed the insulating conducting-wires c c of the cable.

The special feature of construction in this connection is the relative arrangement of the wires within the leadbodyA, consisting of an arrangement of the wires in two rows, the wires c forming one such row-and the Wires e the other row'. The wires in the two rows alternate-that is, the wires in one row are at intervals about midway between the wires of the other, and the lines of the two rows are nearer together than the individual wires of each row, so that the space or distance between any two adjacent wires in the same row is greater than between any two adjacent wires taken in the two different rows 5 or, in otherwords, the pas- ICO sages through which lead flows from the exterior to the interior are widest or most open at the surface and most contracted in the center, where the lead, enteringfrom opposite points, naturally meets and forms adhesive union under pressure around the inner surfaces ofthe wires. This provision in the arrangement of wires in a cable containing other than asingle plane or row materially facilitates the llow of lead into the center, and insures intact homogeneous walls ot' covering in such interior, with closer proximity of wires than can be secured by methods of arrangement heretofore praetiecd. Substantially the same Yfeature of grouping the wires in pairs ot' rows, with the adjacent wires of the two rows in closer proximity than the adjacent individuals of either row, may be incorporated into larger cables containing more than one paiil of rows,and in so far as such compounding in a cable ot' this feature ot' construction may involve patentable invention not covered hereby l desire to reserve my right to iile other applications for patents therefor, one such Vform and construction of compound cable being included in the subject matter of aseparate application filed even date herewith; also, 'in other applications filed this date I have described and claimed anew and useful construction of core or mandrel adapted to make the cables herein referred to.

In Patent No. 252,684-, granted to me .lana ary 2;t,1882,1[ have shown a cable andclaimed the method ot' making the same, such cable E having its wires arranged in two rows within a compound covering made up of separate plates of lead united to `form a tight covering. This construction of cable, with its compound or multipleApart cover, is not claimed herein;

' neither docs it contain the same invention or 'in two rows, the adjacent wires ofthe two rows being in closer proximity than the adjacent wires ot' either row, substz'mtially as set forth.

2. A compound electric cable having an integral homogeneous body of metal covering, with insulated wires iuclosed in separate pas' sages therethrough, such wires being :.n'ranged in two rows,the adjacent wires ot' the two rows being in closer proximity than the adjacent wires in either row, and the wires of one row alternating in order of position with those of the other row, substantially as set forth.

VIn testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand.

'R'ICl-lrilll') S. 'WAIUNLL W'itnesses:

llt. H. WIItr'rLi-ism, C. L. llii'eifnn. 

